Synopsis:

Celaena Sardothien is Adarlan's most feared assassin. As part of the Assassin's Guild, her allegiance is to her master, Arobynn Hamel, yet Celaena listens to no one and trusts only her fellow killer-for-hire, Sam. In these action-packed novellas - together in one edition for the first time - Celaena embarks on five daring missions. They take her from remote islands to hostile deserts, where she fights to liberate slaves and seeks to avenge the tyrannous. But she is acting against Arobynn's orders and could suffer an unimaginable punishment for such treachery. Will Celaena ever be truly free? Explore the dark underworld of this kick-ass heroine to find out

Review:
I have heard so much about this series, particularly due to the recent release of Queen of Shadows.  I have already read Sarah J. Maas's book A Court of Thorns and Roses, so I knew I would like this series, as well.  Since I seem to be the last to discover these books, I took a leap of faith and bought all five of them.  Although The Assassin's Blade was written after Throne of Glass, it is actually a prequel.  I wondered if a newbie like me would appreciate this backstory, since I haven't really invested in the series's characters yet.  But I found myself to be quickly immersed in this world of intrigue, danger, and romance.  Each story is connected and builds upon each other.  I had a feeling about the ending from about the fourth story, and sadly it proved to come true.  This did nothing to detract from the overall experience.  But I have a feeling that this information will be a vital part of Celaena's motivation in the next books.

Sarah J. Maas does a wonderful job of creating an original world filled with societies that resemble Europe in the middle ages.  The poverty and desperation of the lower classes are in sharp contrast to the luxury of the nobility and the Assassin's Guild.  Celaena has little choice but to become an assassin when she is orphaned following the invasion of her hometown by the king of Adarlan.  But in spite of her murderous  occupation, Celaena still has a sense of right and wrong.  She is not totally ruthless and cold.  This gets her into trouble with her mentor, Arobynn Hamel.  I loved how complicated their relationship was.  I hope it will be explored further in the next books.

At times, I could see an upcoming plot twist, and wanted to scream at Celaena for not seeing what was coming.  But, I needed to remember how young she actually was to put it in perspective.  Other than that, this was a great introduction to the world of the Assassin's Guild and Celaena Sardothien.  I can't wait to start the next book in the series.